Alcohol and Cancer Risk: A review of messaging content in websites of medical, cancer, government, and nonprofit organizations and alcohol companies.
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Objective Alcohol is a risk factor for multiple cancers, yet there is limited awareness of this relationship among the general public in the United States (US). This study aimed to characterize the current alcohol and cancer risk-related messaging across websites of US health organizations in order to understand the extent to which public communication may be influencing the lack of awareness regarding alcohol and cancer risk. Methods The websites of 157 medical, cancer, governmental, and non-profit organizations and alcohol-funded entities were selected. A standardized coding process identified the presence of alcohol and cancer risk-related messaging. Review of websites was conducted by two independent reviewers over the period between August to December 2025. Results The analysis revealed that out of 126 websites of national medical societies, 72 (57%) of them had alcohol-related content, 45 (36%) mentioned health risks with alcohol use and 21 (17%) mentioned cancer risk from alcohol. Notably, only 6 (5%) noted that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. All 3 governmental websites included mentions of the cancer risk from alcohol. Among the 10 cancer organization websites, 6 (60%) mentioned the cancer risk from alcohol and 5 (50%) stated that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. Among the 7 alcohol-related nonprofit organizations, 4 (57%) mentioned the cancer risk from alcohol. Among the 11 websites from industry-related organizations, 5 (45%) mentioned health effects from alcohol and 5 (45%) disclosed that alcohol can cause cancer. Conclusion The results suggest that there is an opportunity to improve the public's knowledge regarding the harms of alcohol use through health organizational websites, including its associated cancer risk. The lack of mention of the cancer risks associated with alcohol use may be contributing to the low awareness regarding cancer risks associated with alcohol use among the general public.
Source: AJPM Focus
Authors: Zhu Chin Ng, Sharouk Khanjar, Michael Siegel
Institutions: Tufts University, Saint Vincent Hospital
Language: English
Topic: Media Influence and Health
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,910
OpenAlex ID: W7162694362
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